A DAC is not an AMP and saying that they are "pretty much the same thing" is super misleading. For those of you who actually want accurate information about DACs and AMPs here you go: DAC = digital to analog converter. A DAC converts a digital signal to an analog format that headphones/speakers can use. AMP = amplifier. An AMP amplifies the signal so that headphones/speakers can be properly driven.
for real, he kinda lost me on that line. one of the first things you learn in audio is the difference between an AMP and a DAC (although they can come as a combo sometimes, see Schiit and the Objective2)
Recently left the “gaming headset” world myself. Picked up the Massdrop Sennheiser HD6XX’s and the Schiit Magni + Modi stack. Was a massively pricey upgrade but I don’t regret it one bit. I describe it like moving from 1080p to 4K but instead of video, it’s audio.
same I tried many many oooh so many "gaming" headphones from all known brands like logitech , razer, corsair just to name a few truth be told they are ALL shit compared to decent openback studo headphone coupled that with an amp +dac
I’m new to tech I just wanna ask for a monitor to work do I need a pc? As I wanna be able to be console gaming and also work on the same monitor an answer would mean a lot
Neel A so for me to use internet etc on the monitor shouldn’t be an issue I’ve heard a monitor can’t be directly connected to internet as it’s just a screen
Yeah i get what u mean. I’m here since 35k-ish and actually didn’t see he had such low amount of subscriber after like a month or so I got pretty confused when I saw he had 35k subs instead of 600k
If he keeps telling people a “DAC is basically an AMP” he is going to lose all credibility and his channel will die. It’s fucking embarrassing as a tech you tuber to actually say that.
I watched the video about 10 times 😂 I replaced my gaming Headset with the Beyerdynamic DT990 pro powered by my Yamaha AV Receiver and it’s just another world. I love how crisp and detailed the environment of the Gameworld sounds and I feel like I can estimate the location of my enemies better. The fact that these are open headphones makes it much more comfortable to speak because you can hear your voice as if you had nothing on your ears. The first time listening to music with them gave my goosebumps. I can hear and localize sounds I couldn’t hear with my old headphones.
I first used A40 just like you, and moved to a DAC/AMP and nice headphone set up. Your comments on how much difference is exactly how I felt when I first experienced the real Hi Res headphones.
NOTI GANG!!! Can't begin to describe the differences in clarity and positional audio performance when switching to high tier studio headphones. Officially never going back to gaming headsets personally. It is definitely true however that gaming headphones do serve a purpose in the mid to low end price point. Stay awesome everyone! ✊
Just curious, are these studio reference headsets compatible with consoles for those that play xbox or ps4, since they need an amp along with the headset?
This was exactly the review I was looking for. My best headphones are the original generation a40's right now which still sound good to me, but this video is exactly what i needed to convince myself to get the BeyerDynamics. Also love how personal the review is, been going through so much headphone video reviews and i really don't like the detached point of view a lot of them take, it makes it seem like they dont even own the headphones they are talking about.
He is right ! I have had many headphones in the past, but when i bought my first studio pair ... maaan ! I got the DT770 250ohm and i love them ! The sound is much better than any gaming headphone i have tried. The only bad thing is ( well if u can call it bad ) is that having headphones with analytical sound means that a large number of songs will not sound that good, because you will hear faults in the track. Anyway overall i'm not going back to consumer gear for home use... I'm actually hyped to get my DT990 for the open back experience.
@@Dubufy I own a pair of DT990 Edition in black and i love them! Compared to the pro version they sit a little looser but i can wear them for hours without any problems. There are enough replacements around for the DT990s - even official stuff from Beyerdynamic. They also offer spare parts for pretty much anything you could ever need. If you don't treat em too rough, they'll last you a eternity!
The headband of this DT 990 in its original premium version (with silver shells) was all leather. This does not seem to be the case for this revised edition in black.
I made a similar jump to Beyerdynamic (and an amp) recently. The A40s/Arctis Pros/Elite Pros ARE NOT the pinnacle of gaming audio. AT ALL. Not even close... The difference between a gaming headset and a good pair of headphones is astonishing.
I picked up this exact setup. I had a Arctis Pro setup before this. When I got the Arctis Pro I thought that was end game, how could it be better. About a year ago I got the DT 990's Pro's 250ohm with the G6 and omg, like you said, "A whole new world" I didn't know existed in sound. I literally spent hours and hours relistening to all my music. Then, I got into Equalizer Apo with Peace UI and helped even more. The highs can be a bit piercing at times, but no big deal.
Did you get the 250 or the 600 OHM? I am interested in getting them but the 600’s are out of stock so I don’t know if I should keep looking around or just settle for the 250 OHM?
I bought the 600 ohm. Still using it with my external soundblaster and love the way it sounds. Did not have a comparison to the 250 ohm. Sorry that I couldn’t help
You just resolved my audio issue been running 40euro headphone until I found well this set I’ve watched hours of content even a lot of yours this solved it for you should be on commission for these you just sold the amp and headset to me thanks so much bro all videos you’ve made are to the highest standard and out performing anyone else I’ve watched thanks again.
@@dr.manhattan7313 is it good for at pinpointing where the footsteps are coming from? Anyways have you tried the ath ad700x, if so which do u prefer between the ad700x n the 990pro
I recently bought kit sound dj headphones for £30 because I was fed up with the clamping force from my hyper x fury alpha pro's on the off chance that they would be more comfortable and I'm so glad I did as not only are they comfortable they also sound much better than my hyper x headset never buying a gaming headset again
100% agree with your review. I have owned many headsets over the years including Turtle Beach, Steelseries Arctis 7, Sennheiser 360, Astro A20,40 and most recently A50. I always rated the Astro A40 and A50 for sound until I tried my son’s Bayerdynamic DT990 pro. I couldn’t believe how much better they were. Sound was clear, crisp but most importantly, the sound direction was so superior. I had been struggling to not only pinpoint footsteps but I was struggling to actually hear them at all on my Astro A50. As I needed a mic and didn’t want a desk mic, I purchased a set of the Bayerdynamic MMX300 600ohm which come with a mic attached (I’m told by friends that the mic sounds really good if you are wondering) and bought the Soundblaster G6 amp. This setup is so superior to my Astro A50 that I will never buy a dedicated gaming headset again. As I have tried both the DT990 and MMX300 side by side. Sound wise they are very close but I would say the DT990 are a bit more comfortable than the MMX300 as the clamping force is lower than the MMX300. If you don’t need a mic or you have an external mic. I would recommend getting the DT990. If you need a mic, the MMX300 are a great choice. P.S. I bought the 600ohm version as they were the same price as the lower version direct from Bayerdynamic. I like to play music loud and the 600ohm allows loud sound with no distortion.
NIIIICE!! After owning the open back Philips SHP9500 headphones paired with a VModa 3.5" gaming boom mic, I will never own a closed back "gaming headset." Comfort, great audio, and incredibly affordable!
Would be interested to see how more "budget" studio headphones compare to gaming headsets with the DAC. Such as the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x or the Philips SHP9500. Keep up the good work, man!
Unfortunately when it comes to higher quality audio, there is no “budget” friendly options. In the audiophile world “budget” is like $300-400. It’s always gonna be pricey. Just look up the names of any of those headphones though, DAC/Amp quality doesn’t change much between brands especially when you’re looking into “budget”. Only time you get an upgrade in sound quality after entering the audiophile world is when you enter the $1k-4K headphones and DAC/Amps.
@@chikkiton you should try philips shp9500, it's an amazing headphone for under 100 bucks. There is a websites, called rtings.com in which they review this headphones and score it, and guess what, this headphone is on par with DT990 pro with less cost, and good thing about this headphone is that the impedance is only 32 ohms meaning you can use this to listen to music on your phone. No DAC and Amp needed. also come with detachable aux cable.
Lord Draking i have the MMX300 gen 2, they’re amazing, give them time to “burn in”, mine were great from the first listen but i saw many reviews that said they sound better after X amount of hours
I have the 990s pro and I absolutely love them. They’re SO comfortable to wear with glasses and the sound is amazing. I can tell where people are exactly in FPS.
So many tech youtubers talking about gear for gaming and such when they are terrible and really shouldnt be recommending gaming gear. You are not one of them! You're actually good and know what you're talking about when it comes to gaming. Liked and subbed, keep up the good work
Love how he talks cost when a pair of astro's are double that of a DT 990 Pro (yes, you have the Edition, same headphone different look sound is literally the same) and maybe yes you'd need a dac/amp for 250 ohm.. but the Tygr 300r exists at 32 ohm for $159 soo yikes? Great review though, your points are 10/10 I just think the price difference only favors Beyerdynamic
I made that same realization about gaming headsets about 8 years ago. And my "upgrade" was more of a side grade, I got Sennheiser HD 558 and used onboard audio. Later upgrading to an external dac/amp. Even with the onboard audio from my motherboard, there wasn't a comparison. The Astros don't really compare with the offering from real audio companies that produce recording equipment as well as consumer products. Idk about this generation of Astros but 8 years ago it was super true.
The cable not being removable is the only reason why I didn't get a beyerdynamic headset. Moving from gaming headphones to real headphones absolutely blew my mind though. For the same price as some a50's you can get a pair of 58x's and a $100 dac/amp that will outperform them by a longshot
Yes you will be able to use these headphones with your PS4. Just make sure to get dedicated dac/amp because these will be really quiet coming out of your controller; not only that but if you were to have them plugged into your controller the battery would drain really fast. You can use a mod mic or some external mic like a blue yeti if you are worried about a mic.
My headset set up is: -OneOdio Wired DJ Headphones -Vmoda boom mic Around $100 You get a lot better quality in my opinion making a gaming headset then buying one.
I picked up the exact same combo a week ago since both were on sale for around 270$ all in here in germany. The sound fidelity and quality is just a whole nother level (even coming from an Audio-Technica ATH-ADG1X) only bummer was the poor "quality" of the head rest and the way u can adjust the headset to ur actual head size.
Just picked up the DT990 Pro 250ohm paired up with a Sound BlasterX G6 ... OMG what a difference with these headphones ! I am hearing sounds in Modern Warfare ive never heard before !
FYI, a dac and amp are completely different in what they do. Digital audio converter vs an amplifier. They can come in one unit, but everything that produces sound, your phone, your computer etc, technically have a dac. They differ in quality greatly. An amp amplifies and drives the power. But there are dac/amp combos that have both in one unit. And the removable cable thing you mentioned is completely wrong. The highest tier headphones that cost thousands of dollars that poo on dt990's, all have removable cables. Even beyerdynamic higher tier models have removable cables.
100% agree. A good middle ground between a gaming headset and budget and studio monitor style headphones are the Sennheiser pc37x. Fantastic sound quality with a decent mic.
@@ngame1422 you can mount a Vmoda micboom or a Modmic and with an adapter you can connect mic and sound from one side and Jack to the PS4 controller from the other side.
Nice review, but you got few things wrong: 1 - a DAC is not an amp and not always is used to give power to the headphones. Their main task is to convert the digital audio to an analogue signal, not amp. the signal (which they can do too but is not the point). 2 - digital optical line is bad, is not the cleanest, you should use the USB connection on the G6 3 - the fact that you can remove the cable it doesn't make it more weak to interferences, you have a good example on the DT1990, when you go to higher tier headphones you always can remove the cable (or nearly always) From the rest, yes, I agree so much, I feel I wasted my life all these years with crappy "gaming" headsets.
I have been using the Sennheiser ATH M20X headphones for a while now and yeah they are cheap but its amazing on how much a nice even sound signature helps in gaming.
Thank you for this. I just wanted some new headphones because my old ones were pretty crappy, and were getting old. I looked online for "best headphones under $50" and found audio-technica ATH-M20. Well, they seemed all sold out everywhere, so I went one step up to M30 for $70. It was only after I ordered them, that I saw Monitor headphones aren't the same as regular. I started to worry everything would seem tinny and bland because they equalize all frequencies. I basically only play games, so this video is reassuring. Assuming studio headphones means the same as monitor ones. I'm thinking there's a difference, but a similar concept. Anyway, anxiously awaiting for them to arrive, so I can see what's up. I like clarity more than a booming bass, but also appreciate a rich sound.
thank you very much!!! I really needed that video; I was searching everywhere about the differences about this two types before I buy Astro or a studio headphone. ♥️❤️💜
i think you really should have mentioned the eternal issue of beyers piercing treble. Now, it is exactly what gives these their "competitive edge" but it can tire your ears after listing for prolonged lenghts, especially when NOT gaming, otherwise great review and I surely understand audio is not THE focus of this channel, kudos still!!
The headband of this DT 990 in its original premium version (with silver shells) was all leather. This does not seem to be the case for this revised edition in black.
Did you use any type of equalizer with the DT 990 Pros? I currently have the SBX G6 on the high gain with direct mode enabled (disables all equalizers and filters) and I can't even tell a difference from Astro a40 tr. I actually hear more with Astros. Any tips on what to do? the headphone is amazing on everything else. terrible for me atm for FPS games. I have DT 990 Pro 250ohms
Dude u read my mind, I was looking at videos for a headphone because I just bought the fifine t669 for my ps4 now I need a pair of headphones. I was looking at the audio technica m50x what u think about them?
I just invested in some open-backed Audio Technica's.... I'm excited to get them and see how they are. I'm currently using a pair of corsair void gaming headphones....... this will be an epic upgrade I'm sure.
Can't agree more. Open back headsets are the best for gaming. I own the SHP9500, X2HR, DT990 Pro, Audio Technica AD700x (which are the best for FPS games). And paired with the Sound BlasterX G6, are WAY BETTER than Astros A50s -- and cheaper.
The input you are using into the G6 dac is optical? You should be disabling your on board audio and sourcing the audio into your G6 directly from the USB on your PC using the USB to micro-usb input. Unless you are using a console Xbox or Playstation? Or you have a more complicated high-end setup for streaming and recording in the audio is coming from another MixAmp?
Love your reviews. You should review some other studio headphones. Also, stand alone mics are a great set up with studio headphones. Maybe look into reviewing those too. Appreciate what you do. Keep up the good work.
If I never had grown up with my Dads Sony 7506 Headset in the 90's.. I would not know how bad these new expensive gaming headsets where. I found out when I went to Best buy to try out the various headsets and was like.. this is garbage. Only until you get to $300 above it improved but still wasn't as crisp and dynamic on direction as a 90's headset?? We are getting ripped with cheap stuff or these new engineers are not as good as the old ones in the past.
The video I should have watched before buying a new headphone. But I actually bought the DT 990 Edition, silver colour. 😀 Thing is, man what you just said in the video, every single thing is correct. I'd never ever used an open-back headset, let alone an audiophile one. I used many headsets and I'm gaming for quite a time. I used G533, G935, G635(all Logitech), Corsair Virtuoso, Razer Nari and Steelseries Arctis pro wireless. See I have quite a lot of experience with headphones and I'm quite a fan of good bass. I was sceptical about not having bass in DT coz first they are open back and second audiophile headphones are neutral. But DT destroyed every headset by, yes by a Landslide and I'm not exaggerating. The only thing missing is mic so I bought ATGM similar to modmic and it is complete. Apart from that one more important point, I'm using it from motherboard audio which is capable of driving 600-ohm impedance so quite sufficient for me and A major point too, it is able to use Dolby Atmos on Windows 🔥 Damn, I love my purchase decision. That also shown me how companies fooling ppl to get their money. Edit: Oct 2020 I bought Soundblaster G3 (Type C portable DAC and AMP) and Man it drives these headphones so easily even on my Pixel 3A. I can't go above 40% volume and I can fully customize the headphones with the equaliser as per my liking. I added this here so that it can help anyone who wants to buy a portable DAC-AMP combo for high impedance headphones.
Good luck with you and the cable I went for the AKG K702 over this headset just because of the removable cable which I did had to replace at one time. Thanks for the review.
Another down side to getting a high quality studio headset is you’ll probably need an amplifier depending on which one you get to either get the most out of it or have it on. Also a DAC is not a amp, there are DAC/amp combos but they’re not the same. An amp provides power while a DAC will provide a higher quality sound stage.
Disclaimer: I am not an expert, but I have been doing some research about amps and DACs as of late. So if I’m wrong and you know better, please feel free to correct me.
uh what? a DAC and an amplifier are 2 entirely different things. DAC stands for digital-to-analog converter. DACs convert 1's and 0's into an analog signal, and then an amplifier amplifies that analog signal.
I missed the giveaway at the end of the stream but nice video! I remember your honest review on the a40s, that’s when I knew to get my own. These videos are only getting better, Keep it up bro!
Hey, I need some help. Should I keep the Logitech and return it? I have a sony wh-1000xm3. Recently I purchased devices to start streaming and with this, I bought a Logitech g pro x wireless for gaming. Something that I notice is that sony is amazing in quality comparing to Logitech, but I really do not know the difference between gaming and normal headphones. Also, I have a mic (elgato wave 3) so I don't use the mic from the headphones. Thank you much
DAC is not an AMP. If it was there'd be no reason for DAC/AMPs to exist. The DAC you were talking about is most likely actually a DAC/AMP (it'd also make no sense for DACs to be AMPs since DAC stands for Digital to Analog Converter)
Great video man. Wondering what’s a good closed back studio headset? Been on the fence about replacing my A40’s and I think it’s time. I’m convinced now.
i just got 990 pro 250 ohm premium and VS PRO... Premium is DEFINITELY LIGHTER and LESS clamping force... now i wanna try 600.. PRO 990 sound cleaner and crispier highs
I've been using studio reference headphones for years. Been swearing by them for gaming. Always had them because I mix and master audio. I have the ATH-R70x and they're soooooo much better than my Astros.
If I were you I would build it myself But if you do go for a prebuilt go with NZXT Digital storm is overpriced and has way too much branding on and in the case
Yes you will be able to use these headphones with your PS4. Just make sure to get dedicated dac/amp because these will be really quiet coming out of your controller; not only that but if you were to have them plugged into your controller the battery would drain really fast.
I saw that you play Apex and its main game that I play and Im planning to buy the DT 990, how they performing in Apex ? Im currently using Cloud 2, and its really hard for to sound footsteps and where they are coming from in Apex, so that's why I want a good pair of headphones that I can really pinpoint where the enemies are coming from and to know exactly where they are. so how the 990 doing in that regard ?
